Shaheen Afridi has achieved a new milestone by becoming the only third blower to take 100 wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Lahore Qalandars’ captain reached to three figures by dismissing Naseem Shah of Islamabad United during a 23rd PSL 9 match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.
Wahab Riaz holds the distinction of being the first bowler to achieve 100 wickets in PSL history, leading the league’s all-time wicket-takers with an impressive tally of 113 wickets.
Meanwhile, Hasan Ali is on the second spot with 107 wickets. He reached the three-figure mark by dismissing Islamabad United’s Alex Hales during the 15th PSL 9 encounter last week in Karachi.
Islamabad United’s captain Shadab Khan (87) is at fourth while his teammate Faheem Ashraf (73) is at fifth.
Most wickets in PSL
Wahab Riaz – 113
Hasan Ali – 107
Shaheen Shah Afridi – 100
Shadab Khan – 87
Faheem Ashraf – 73
It must be noted that defending champions Lahore Qalandars are still at the bottom of the points table despite bagging a 17-run win over Islamabad United.
Lahore Qalandars held the upper hand against Islamabad United while defending the target of 163 runs. The early stages of Islamabad’s innings were marked by a flurry of dismissals, creating a challenging scenario for Shadab Khan’s side.
The troubles began in the first over as Shaheen Afridi claimed the wicket of Alex Hales (0). Agha Salman followed suit, managing only 4 runs before falling to Zaman Khan.
Shadab Khan (7) became the victim of a perfect yorker, adding to Islamabad’s woes. Subsequent quick dismissals of Colin Munro (15), Imad Wasim (7), and Jordan Cox (7) left the team in a precarious position, with key players back in the pavilion.
Azam Khan and Faheem Ashraf attempted a comeback with a 35-run partnership, but despite Azam’s dismissal for 29, Naseem Shah’s cameo kept the two-time champions in the game. Naseem scored a quick 27 off 16 balls before being bowled by Shaheen Afridi, who completed his 100 PSL wickets.
Faheem Ashraf played a pivotal role in resisting Lahore’s bowling attack, finishing unbeaten on 41 off 31 balls with five boundaries. However, Zaman Khan’s impressive figures of 4/37 and Shaheen Afridi’s 2/32 ensured Lahore Qalandars maintained control.
Earlier in the match, Lahore Qalandars posted a competitive total of 163 runs, primarily fueled by Rassie van der Dussen’s half-century.
Despite a challenging start, with openers Sahibzada Farhan (2) and Fakhar Zaman (10) falling within the batting powerplay, captain Shaheen Afridi’s aggressive cameo and van der Dussen’s resilience propelled the defending champions to a respectable total.
The latter emerged as the top-scorer with 64 off 44 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and an equal number of sixes.
David Wiese’s unbeaten 24-run cameo further bolstered Lahore Qalandars’ innings. Rumman Raees led Islamabad United’s bowling attack with figures of 2/19, supported by one wicket each from Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, and Shadab Khan.
